Removal of a lens in an eye is required by such physical conditions as cataracts, disease, or trauma to the eye. Typically, the removal of the lens is accomplished by making an opening in an anterior wall of a capsule that contains the lens, and then using surgical techniques such as phacoemulsification to fragment and aspirate the fragmented lens pieces. Thereafter, an artificial intraocular lens (IOL) is inserted through the opening in the lens capsule to replace the damaged or diseased lens.
To make an opening in the lens capsule, a physician or surgeon will first retract the iris, thus dilating the pupil, to provide an adequate exposure of the lens capsule. This may be typically done through chemical dilation of the iris. However, for some patients a mechanical iris retractor must be utilized to retract or pressure the leading edges of the iris. This might be done in the case of a small or damaged iris or where chemical dilation is otherwise inappropriate. The mechanical iris retractor may be a simple elongate rod with a hook, which may be placed through an incision in the cornea and located to pull back the iris. Multiple hooks would need to be used to provide an adequate operating space or aperture within which to work. Alternatively, some retractors form a continuous frame and may be collapsed for being injected through an incision in the cornea and then resiliently expanded within the anterior chamber of the eye. Once the iris is retracted and the anterior capsule wall is adequately exposed within a window or aperture of the iris retractor, the surgeon will use surgical instruments such as forceps or a needle to puncture the anterior capsular wall, then grip the wall at the site of the puncture and tug or tear the wall, preferably in a circular pattern to remove a portion of the wall large enough and appropriately shaped to receive an artificial IOL.
The above-discussed procedure requires significant skill on the part of the surgeon. It is not uncommon for the delicate tissues of the iris to become functionally and cosmetically damaged by over-tensioning or over-pressurizing by mechanical retraction. Further, some prior art mechanical retractors only have a single size or mode of operation. For some hook-like mechanical retractors, several incisions must be made in a cornea in addition to time consuming manual adjustments of the hook tension.
It would be desirable to provide an improved surgical apparatus wherein the above-discussed problems could be eliminated, or at least substantially minimized.
It would further be desirable to provide an improved iris retractor that may be utilized for a variety of patients having differing pupil sizes or iris health.
It would also be desirable to provide an improved iris retractor that could quickly be reconfigured or adjusted to provide a variable pressure in-situ within the eye.
Further, it would be beneficial if such an improved iris retractor could be manufactured without incurring excessive costs or expenses.